Class is Now in Session

What comes to mind when you think of Hillsides? More often than not, most people think of Hillsides as an “orphanage” or better yet a safe place for “troubled” youth. The fact of the matter is that these terms are insufficient to describe all that Hillsides provides.  In a particular way Hillsides is about education. An integral part of the services offered to our residents is the availability of a fully credentialed educational institution that provides a very individualized instruction oriented around the specific learning challenges of each student.

Of the 75 students enrolled in grades 2-12, 40 are residents of our treatment program and the others are day students from the community. The Hillsides Education Center offers a very comprehensive approach that couples both the academic with an array of support services that address the very specific needs of our students. Classrooms are limited to anywhere from 10-13 students and each is led by a specially certified teacher and two classroom assistants, allowing for a very individualized approach to instruction. The goal, of course, is help students achieve grade level performance and, as soon as possible, return to a less restrictive educational setting.

With the beginning of school comes a certain amount of excitement masking the apprehension that is typical of the start of the academic year. New school clothes, backpacks filled with schools supplies, stories of summer adventures, and reconnections with classmates and teaching staff generates a palpable energy. With that the school year is off to a great start!

For all the challenges that our students confront, the school districts that refer them are likewise challenged to meet the cost of providing needed services in an extraordinarily fiscally constrained environment. As partners with the school districts, we, too, are also challenged to sustain quality instruction with no hope of being fully compensated for what it costs to educate each student. Instruction at Hillsides Education Center costs approximately $145 a day per student and the reimbursement averages only about $125. As you can see, the difference in cost multiplied by the days of instruction per student quickly adds up to a significant structural deficit that can only be addressed by the generous support we receive from individuals and foundations who value this important component of care we offer.

What is the solution to the underfunding of our public education system? I don’t pretend to know the answer and strive mightily to not grow cynical when listening to the empty rhetoric of public officials who promote a quality public education and yet seem totally ineffective at generating and allocating the needed resources. I can say, however, the reliance on private funds to supplant these essential educational services is not a good or sustainable solution and have a limited impact because of the significant gap.

The solution, I suggest, has to do with the resolve necessary to sustain the  sacrifices needed to truly make the education of all our children a valued priority. Here at Hillsides it is priority and we have the resolve to raise approximately $250,000 a year to sustain our educational services. It is a great sacrifice, but we are convinced that it is also worthwhile. What greater contribution can we make to the life of a student than to see them achieve in spite of a learning challenge, become confident in the classroom, and perhaps for the first time enjoy learning!

A Eulogy for Margaret Campbell: Volunteer Leader Extraordinaire

Margaret Campbell with Hillsides CEO Joe Costa and
The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno

Word came a few weeks ago that one our long time community leaders, Margaret Campbell had passed away after a brief illness. Just about a month ago Margaret and I had one of our occasional luncheons and although she was already frail, she was never-the-less very much engaged as I shared with her some of the initiatives that we are entraining at Hillsides. As always, she was keenly interested and provided great advice on how to pursue our mission. She was witty, entertaining, and insightful.

Margaret was introduced to me by my predecessor John Hitchcock. During the month and a half, John and I spent together before I assumed the position of CEO, we visited a number of community leaders. At the top of his list of people for me to meet was Margaret. He got animated in describing her to me, as sharp witted, opinionated, determined, and an unapologetic advocate for Hillsides. He counseled me that although he didn’t always agree with Margaret, he did never-the-less always respect her commitment and appreciated her dedication to the children we serve.

Our luncheon meeting was the first of many at which Margaret provided me with one of her many pieces of advice like “dear, you need to patronize those who support you.” She was the master of the quid pro quo and was never ashamed of soliciting support for Hillsides, always quick to make note of the value local businesses gained from association with such a respected charitable organization. It was a delightful first encounter and an important introduction to someone for whom I quickly came to respect, admire, and care about.

Subsequent luncheons provided Margaret an opportunity to introduce me to yet other donors and supporters. They were occasions when she would fill me in on what was going on with various people and offer insights into the history and development of Hillsides over the last four decades. From those meetings I left not only having a better sense of Margaret, but also a great appreciation of many who are so significant to the well being of the institution. More than anything else, I learnt that I could count on Margaret as an advisor, a donor, and as a friend. Her loss is profound for all of us at Hillsides.

Margaret was an advocate for the children, youth, and families we serve. Years ago in her role as the president of the Hillsides board of directors, Margaret penned a letter to the editor advocating for needed funding. She ended the letter by saying of Hillsides, “your heart will be warmed by the healing that goes on each and every day at Hillsides…we would like nothing more than to see the need for our agency become obsolete…sadly, however, I do not think I will be blessed enough to see the end of child abuse in my lifetime.”

Although Margaret died before seeing the end of child abuse, she did see the great impact we have on the abused, neglected, and vulnerable children and youth we serve; and she was proud of how our collective effort has led to lasting changing for all we serve.

One of the areas close to Margaret’s heart was the chaplain’s program at Hillsides. She believed deeply in the strength, comfort, and peace that come from spiritual nourishment. She was also an avid supporter of the philosophy that every child has unique gifts to share with the world, and viewed the chaplain’s program as key to this path of discovery. For this reason, her family designated memorial funds towards Margaret Campbell Chaplain’s Fund to support the needs of this program.

Our mission continues and it is strengthened by the devotion and unwavering support of Margaret Campbell. In her memory we sustain the indispensable services we offer.

May she rest in peace!

Fulfilling the Promise

I've mentioned before that Hillsides is in the process of seeking an accreditation with a national organization, the Council on Accreditation. This week a few staff members, including myself, attended the Triennial Conference of the Council on Accreditation in New York City. Organizations like Hillsides gathered to discuss best practices in child welfare and behavioral health care. As useful as many workshops were, what I found most worthwhile was coming together with so many who are clearly committed to providing the best care possible for some of the most vulnerable.

We provide excellent care to those we serve; the challenge lies with being able to demonstrate that excellence measured against nationally held standards of practice. Currently, Hillsides is accredited by a state wide provider's association. The standards of the Council of Accreditation exceed those of our current accrediting body and really insist on the development of an organizational culture that is not only driven by a commitment to provide fine services, but is also rigorous in sustaining a constant process of improvement. This important accreditation that we seek will validate our fine work, advance our stated mission to create lasting change, and position us within the provider community as having achieved excellence.

The conference opened with a quote from an unnamed sage, "if you want to know the past, touch a rock; if you want to know the present, touch a flower; but if you want to know the future, touch a child!" How absolutely true and it is for this reason that we strive for excellence because the opportunity to influence the future by caring for our children now is so precious that it must not be squandered. In a particular way for such vulnerable children and youth, whose needs are so great, every effort must be made to keep them safe, improve their well-being, and offer them permanency.

Accreditation is not a panacea, but it is an indicator of our commitment and resolve to provide the best care possible for all we serve.

Visit this blog for updates on our progress toward accreditation. As we prepare for the final submission of documentation in anticipation of an on-site review by an accreditation panel in early November, we continue to be hopeful that our efforts will advance our goal to be always an extraordinary resource for the children, youth and families we serve.

Wednesday's Child

For many of our residents who are challenged to find a permanent home we take advantage of ‘Wednesday's Child” as a way of introducing the child to an adoptive family. “Wednesday’s Child” is a weekly television feature on FOX11/KTTV about adoption that helps find permanent, loving, adoptive families for children in foster care. After appearing on “Wednesday's Child,” the anticipation of finally meeting a potential adoptive family was so great for one of our residents. When the resident finally walked into the room to meet the couple, he could hardly contain himself and began to tear up to have encountered a loving family. That first memorable meeting opened the door to a heart rendering process of discovery, as child and prospective parents explored the potential of becoming a family.

Hope is running high in spite of considerable challenges as together they maneuver uncharted territory. This is the emotional path managed by our staff as they seek a permanent, loving home for some of the most vulnerable residents at Hillsides. For this particular resident the process still continues and the path will be challenging, but he makes his way accompanied by dedicated staff committed to finding him a permanent home.

Recognizing that he would be leaving soon, I took some time this past week to meet with him. He welcomed the opportunity and to my surprise came to the meeting prepared with an agenda. He opened his portfolio (I was impressed) and started by saying thank you. He was grateful for the staff, the many experiences he has had and the friends he has made. I asked him what he liked most about his experience at Hillsides and he responded by mentioning how kind, patient, and responsive the staff is and that he really appreciated it.  To show how appreciative he is, he had prepared a "petition" that he insist I sign stating my commitment to provide raises to the staff. Not that I needed to be convinced, but the staff could not have asked for a better advocate than this appreciative resident!  His only complaint was that sometimes the food is not "crispy" enough, alas we are not the local KFC franchise! I told him I would look into it.

Our residential program is one of the finest in the area, sought after as a preferred placement. We take pride in tirelessly striving to provide the best possible care for the children we serve and their families. At the end of the day, we see ourselves at their services, offering a resource at a critical juncture that hopefully will enable them to move on to a better and full life. The journey feels perilous at times, caring for the fragile well-being of such vulnerable children can be daunting. However, it is all worthwhile if at the end positive lasting change comes about.